GC-MS and Microbial Analysis of Oil Extract from Gums of Anacardium Occidentale (Cashew Gum), Khaya Senegelensis (African Mahogany Gum), and Terminalia Mantaly (Umbrella Tree Gum)

Abstract

Natural plant gums are valuable sources of bioactive compounds with pharmaceutical and industrial potential. This study investigated the chemical composition, physicochemical properties, and antimicrobial activities of oil extracts from the gums of Anacardium occidentale (cashew), Khaya senegalensis (African mahogany), and Terminalia mantaly (umbrella tree). Gum samples were collected, dried, pulverized, and extracted with ethanol using a Soxhlet apparatus. The oils were characterized by determining flash point and refractive index, while their chemical constituents were identified using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus spp., Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Botryodiplodia theobromae. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA at p < 0.05. Flash point values ranged from 120.52 °C (K. senegalensis) to 157.37 °C (T. mantaly), while refractive indices ranged from 1.4545 to 1.4591. GC-MS identified 20 to 24 compounds, including vanillic acid, n-hexadecanoic acid, oleic acid, squalene, and dl-α-tocopherol. T. mantaly exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity against S. aureus, producing a 30 mm inhibition zone at 100 mg/mL, exceeding all standard antibiotics tested. K. senegalensis showed broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal activity with inhibition zones up to 24 mm, whereas A. occidentale demonstrated moderate activity. Significant differences in antimicrobial efficacy were observed (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that T. mantaly and K. senegalensis gum oils are promising natural antimicrobial agents with potential applications in pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical, and nutraceutical formulations, warranting further cytotoxicity, minimum inhibitory concentration, and in vivo studies.